Shina Gado
"I'll give you credit for trying, but is that seriously the best you can do against me?'"'' '''Jane Gado, better known by her alias Shina (and sometimes referred to as Marvel), is a former mercenary and a close friend of KD Rio. As she is the primary main character for KDRio v1 (his avatar of KD notwithstanding), she's perhaps the most well-known person in the ITWverse, as many people have at least heard of her. Known to have many friends and contacts, she is one person who is well-connected to the others; on the other side, she also is known by many enemies and villains to be someone not to take lightly or even get into a fight with, as she is capable of anything as far as pain and suffering goes. History Early life As far as Shina knows, most of her early life is a certified blank. It's not to say that she doesn't want to talk about it on purpose... it's actually because she was beset with amnesia at a young age, and thus, most of her memories of the past no longer exist, save for some of the most painful and vivid memories of that time forever being seared into her mind. All that she really knows is that as a young girl in France during a time of civil war, the small town she lived in at the time was besieged by terrorists and burned to the ground. Worse, her own parents were shot and killed before her very eyes before she was injured herself, suffering the amnesia that has since blocked out most of the memories. Now an orphan of war, she was found by and soon adopted by Alan Gado, a mercenary soldier at the time. He took her in and sought to give her a more normal life in the suburbs of Paris, noting that the young girl had a strong spirit and deserved a chance to lead a peaceful life. What Gado didn't expect was that Shina's strong spirit was one that would lead to her not really wanting to settle for a peaceful life. While she grew up in Paris, she was hardly treated kindly by other children her age. Thus, she became more drawn to her adopted father, beginning to idolize him. It would become apparent as he began to once again take on mercenary missions with his mercenary troop, for she would grow even more restless waiting for him to return. It would all come to a head when, on one particular mission... she followed him, and in front of his own comrades, stood up to his ranting on her not staying home to begin with... a situation that had the other soldiers laughing at the sight of a nine-year-old girl standing up to her own father. Resigned to the fact that she saw him as her idol, Gado permitted her to tag along to the mercenary bases for the next couple of years on a limited basis. In the few times she would be alongside her father, Shina began to display rather exceptional skills with weapons, having watched from the sidelines on a couple of occaisions at the firing ranges. While it was becoming apparent that she would probably further follow in Gado's footsteps, he wouldn't permit her on the battlefields. However, she skirted that order just after turning 13 on a summer stay in the Brazilian Amazon. It would be the turning point of her life, because she would get lost and was subsequently captured by a garrison of enemy guerrilas. Taken back to their base, she was quite frightened for her life... her past never really going away despite having a safe home. In fact, she was so scared that she would discover something that she'd never known about until that point in time... something that had been dormant within her, but with her intense fear and desire to get away, it would awaken. The moment a couple of guerrilas came a bit too close to Shina, she suddenly reacted violently -- extremely violently -- and would suddenly transform into a form that's a bit of a cross between a human and a leopard. In a fit of unchecked rage, she'd break free of her binds and single-handedly destroy the entire garrison without a single weapon in hand. However, once she calmed down and enough and eventually changed back to her human self, she saw the carnage that she herself had inflicted. Combined with the blood splattered on her clothes and the stains on her hands, she panicked again, fearing that she'd become a monster. Mercifully, she was found by her father before things could get worse. The Mercenary Days The mission complete with the destruction of the guerrila garrison, Shina and Gado would return to Paris with Gado explaining just what had happened to begin with. In the next few days, Shina would learn that she was in actuality, a Zoanthrope -- a person capable of transformation into a lethal animal beast. While it took some time for it to sink in, she would slowly accept it as a part of her life, and began to expand her training to cover for this new change in her life. As a result of that and of her actions in Brazil, she would finally be permitted to be active on the battlefield during the summer so to not disrupt her high school schedule. It wouldn't take long for some of the older veteran soldiers to notice her exceptional skill, essentially calling her a "Fighting Marvel" as time went on. Once she graduated from high school, despite her father's further protests, Shina would join the mercenary ranks full-time, taking on missions that took her worldwide. However, because of her decision to take up the life of a mercenary, to avoid any such conflicts, Gado had her transferred to a different mercenary group over her objections. Despite what she saw as a slight against her, Shina continued to make a name for herself on the battlefield. Even when she would be forced to take a leave of absence and head to Japan to investigate her father's disappearance and come across new threats as well, there weren't many that didn't know of Shina Gado. A Fateful Meeting Not more than six months after her activity in Japan, Shina was back on the battlefield, this time in the Middle East, where more unrest was brewing within Jerusalem. Meant to be a two week deployment, it would be the first time in active duty that she would be unable to successfully complete her mission. On the fifth day there, extremists attacked a local post that she and six other soldiers were watching over. In the ensuring chaos, she would be knocked out by a grenade landing within 15 feet of her. While not severely injured, she was left behind by her comrades, who fell back from the oncoming terrorists. It was only good fortune for Shina that a young man who had been at a nearby cafe had heard the grenade and rushed over to check out the scene. He would rescue her and take her to his hotel room so she could recover. When she came to, the fact that she was laying on a bed with her military jacket off to the side and that she was unarmed startled her something bad. Fearing a repeat of what happened in Brazil years back, Shina laid low, feigning sleep when the young man that saved her entered the room to check on her. But here, she sprung into action despite the nagging pain and despite his cordial actions. Leaping out of bed and knowing she wasn't in fighting shape at the time, she instead intended to scare her "captor" and transformed to her beast form, hoping for either panic or him blindly rushing at her to his death. Instead, neither result happened as the man stood there dumbfounded. Mentioning that he'd just saved her life was the clincher. Thus, seeing no reason to continue trying to scare him off, she relented and changed back before asking for details. In that moment, she learned that her rescuer's name was KD Rio and that he'd been journeying around the world for some time. The initial conversation was rather chilly, so to say, but when KD assured her that he wouldn't depart until she'd recovered enough and returned to her mercenary troop, only then did Shina finally relent completely and be more social. While it would take a week before any of her comrades returned to the area, she took it in stride and met back up with them. However, before leaving, she shared contact information with KD, thankful that he was there for her when she needed it. Leaving the Mercenary Life Upon returning back to base, Shina began to contemplate the direction her life was taking. Coupled with the fact that some of her own comrades had left her behind in their retreat, she began considering moving on. However, after a couple of those soldiers were properly disciplined by superiors, Shina would reconsider and remain with the troop, feeling reassured that what had happened was an aberration. Unfortunately, with commanders being switched and replaced, her reassurances were swiftly dashed six months later still when she was called on for an individual retrieval mission. During that mission, she discovered some leaked information that what she was going after would be used for dark purposes. Immediately in reaction, Shina would go rogue and acquire it before her superiors could. Smashing it before their eyes, they quickly ordered her arrested; in retaliation, the blonde woman would wound each of them in the legs before promptly declaring that she was done with the organization. With that, she would depart, leaving the mercenary life behind once and for all. Vacation and Second Meeting with KD Opting to keep a low profile, Shina chose not to head home right away, instead taking an unplanned vacation in India to sort out what she would do in her life. During this small vacation, she would come across a rather unique statuette designed like a leopard with sapphires for eyes. Though not a treasure hunter, finding it rather interesting, she opted to read up on it some more; finding out some things that made her shudder, she quickly confiscated the statue, hiding it among her belongings. After concealing it better, she took the week to rest and allow the heated tension of her actions to simmer down. But feeling restless once more, Shina remembered about KD Rio and his hospitality back in Jerusalem one year before. Taking the opportunity to call, she got back into contact with him and agreed to meet him at his home in California. Two days later, she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. After passing through US Customs, Shina would meet up with KD at the baggage claim along with an older man nearby. KD introduced his partner as Timothy Johnson and his best friend. The initial meeting was cordial as the three of them departed from the airport, heading to north Los Angeles, where the two lived. Once they arrived at home -- a nice townhouse on a sleepy street called Sandy Drive -- KD helped Shina feel right at home, even going so far as to ask her if she'd like to move in. Though the house was in Johnson's name, Johnson felt no reason to reject the request that his friend had made to the young woman. Quite surprised, Shina would think about the offer overnight before graciously accepting. Less than a month later, she would finish moving in, thus making the townhouse her home. Construction Appearance Not necessarily tall or anything of the sort, Shina is a young woman hailing from France, and is, to put it simply, slim and very trim. She keeps herself very fit with a rigorous training routine at all times, intent on keeping herself ready in case anything should come up. Though some people have suggested she might be built like an Amazon, that's more an exaggeration than anything, as while she does have an athletic physique, she's no bodybuilder either. Shina is also very tomboyish, as she keeps her hair relatively short, and keeps it spiked back a certain way, leaving only the bangs of her hair more or less untouched. She also does not use any makeup to accentuate her facial features either, leaving her crystalline eyes as probably the most defining physical appearance trait other than her physique. Also of note is that she loathes dresses, and thus usually sticks with tanktops and jeans (though she may go with combat fatigues from time to time)... as well as fingerless gloves on her hands. She will usually put on a denim jacket at times (short-bodied or not, but usually it's short-bodied), and occaisionally puts on shin guards and wrist guards, depending on her look and if she has a jacket on. Of further note is that she usually sticks with either sneakers or combat boots... all of which further adds to her tomboyish look and personality. Personality Shina is someone who can be difficult to approach initially. She's somewhat reserved, cold, and rather unwilling to talk about much outside of what the current situation is. This is probably an effect of her mercenary days, as she comes off as stiff and militaristic in approach. However, it is possible to get her to open up, though it takes time, and she won't usually call someone a friend without good reason. But once she sees no reason to stay reserved, she tends to open up more, as is evident whenever she's around people she considers her friends. To that end, Shina is known to be pleasant to her friends, and will occaisionally go out of her way to help a friend in need. While she can't always promise to be there for everyone that needs it, everyone understands that she's usually not too far away. Although she's not quite as good at being there to give a shoulder to cry on or lean on as Mikey is, Shina does do her best for others... though most notably KD Rio and Mikey. But while she is kind and considerate to friends, to her foes, Shina can be vicious, violent, and more than willing to hurt somone if the situation calls for it. Because of this, even her friends admit to doing what they can to not set her off, as no one really wants to see her in such a mood. However, there are plenty of fools that press her buttons frequently, and are quick to be subjected to a beating at the very least. Thankfully, she usually either feels relaxed or has a friend nearby to help her cool off when that happens. Also of note is that Shina does not like discussing the past, particularly if it was something egregiously terrible. This part of her personality probably is a side effect of her amnesia from years back. No one dares ask if that's the case, though... not even Mikey has asked, although it's likely he knows the reasons but won't say for Shina's sake. Interests, Likes & Dislikes Interests Shina is known as a fighter through and through, and thus, it stays as one of her major interests... one that most everyone is aware of. She tends to exercise a bit, and has been seen lightly jogging down Sandy Drive and surrounding streets. Of further note is that she sometimes practices to keep her fighting prowess sharply honed, thanks to a punching bag and two training dummies in the backyard of her home. Finally, she tends to go to a gym near the downtown district of Los Angeles from time to time, as it's the only close gym that can accomodate her fierce workout ethic. She's also known to keep an eye out for anything aesthetically pleasing when it comes to a feline impression. This interest makes itself known through her association with her cat Zeke and her surprising collection of feline-related art and whatnot. Although she's not one for art in general, the fact that she has a couple of portraits of different cats appears to be an aberration... until one takes note of other things, such as synthetic furs and photographs. Although she has a number of photos of Zeke, she has a relative bias toward leopards in particular. To further drive the point home, she does take good care of what she has, even though she keeps it low-key. Also of note is her view of music, to which Shina has very specific interests. She has very little appreciation for most music; however, that is not to say that she does not like music in general as she prefers what can be termed as classic rock, despite not being seen listening to music often. To that end, she prefers groups such as Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and AC/DC. She will also listen to music that feels like a return to days like this, such as certain songs from OK Go and a few other groups. Known Likes For Shina, most of her interests tend to come up when it comes to things she likes. To that end, she much prefers the thrill of battle (under the proper circumstances) and victory. In her eyes, there's nothing better than both in tandem, although she has no real issue appreciating victory without battle, either. This is most evident when in a spar, she fights to the best of her abilities once in a rhythm, and gives her sparring partner the best she has without overdoing it. Also of note is that she is also a fan of tea, preferring to brew it herself. Her personal favorite blends are red tea and jasmine tea. However, she will try green tea from time to time, and generally tries to avoid pre-made tea, saying that while it's good, it's not quite as good as when she brews it herself. Known Dislikes While Shina prefers victory and the thrill of battle, one thing she detests as a result is defeat... no matter how well she takes it. She strives to avoid defeat at any cost, and thus tends to treat it as a failure on her end... one that she tends to strive to remedy to avoid. Even then, she does not let failure or defeat drag her down, as she also does not like being out of action for too long, as it tends to wear on her just as much as defeat. Of further note is that she despises coffee, and does not understand why anyone would take up the habit since it becomes addicting. Finally, her best-known dislike is for things of a cutesy and frilly nature... namely, skirts, dresses, and makeup. Although she's aware that she will have to deal with a wedding dress when her wedding day comes, she hopes that it will be the only time she has to have on anything like that. Weapons and Abilities Weapons Being a former mercenary, Shina is highly skilled with different types of weapons on top of having exceptional fighting skills. This list may be incomplete, but will be filled out as time progresses. Desert Eagle Mark XIX Shina's preferred pistol of choice, the Desert Eagle has served as her go-to gun in the event she has no access to a rifle or other weapon outside of a combat knife. She's quite adept as using them as well, able to peg a target from about 150 yards consistently, despite using the .44 caliber rounds and setup. Though she now resides in California, she possesses the proper federal and international licenses to carry two Desert Eagles that do not conform to California's strict standards. She doesn't often use the guns due to the fact that there are kids around usually, and she'd rather not send them down a dark path if she can avoid it. M16 Assault Rifle Highly trained in the use of assault rifles, Shina is able to properly handle the M16, and occaisionally will instruct new Agents in the proper use of one. She prefers a semi-automatic version of the M16, though she can handle an automatic just about as well. Her best range with an M16 is from about 300 yards consistently... with a maximum of up to 400 yards. KA-BAR Combat Knife For close range combat, Shina turns to the KA-BAR combat knife in a pinch. In addition to her own fighting prowess, the ability to handle a KA-BAR makes her that much more lethal in battle, as she can conceal it better than a gun. Given that, it's hard to say she doesn't have it on her on a regular basis, but she has acknowledged that there are times she does not possess it on her person. Abilities Fighting Skill As Shina is a highly skilled fighter, she has basic grounding in several schools of close quarters combat, all of which she has smartly adapted to suit her own style and ability. As such, she has some solid all-around combat skill, but does not outright excel at any one point. Regardless, she is still very capable of staying in a fight for as long as she can because of it. To that end, she is skilled at counterstrikes and turning the momentum of an opponent against them. However, her defense is also average, and if it's broken through, she can be subjected to a few good hits before countering. Zoanthrope Abilities - Human Form Given her Zoanthrope nature, Shina is capable of taking more pain than most people can, as she recovers from injuries at a quicker pace than most normal people can. However, this usually doesn't come to light because Mikey usually heals her up quickly. Of further note is that her senses are slightly heightened a bit as well. While this normally doesn't come up with most of her senses, it's most prevalent with her sense of hearing, as she can hear things somewhat better than most Agents. As a result, most people try not to do anything too loud around her, although some people do make reference by handing her earplugs or Mikey using magic to give her some relief around loud noises that would be detrimental to her otherwise. Zoanthrope Abilities - Beast Form Once transformed to beast form, Shina's own strength increases further as she gains a little extra muscle and power, making her considerably more dangerous. To make matters more troubling for her foes, she not only has her own skill in combat, but also can flay them or rip into them with claws and fangs as well. She also can recover from most hits somewhat quicker as well in this form, making it ideal in long fights. This in addition to instinct she can utilize in her favor means that she can strike with near-impunity, although it is still possible to strike her. Because of that, it is possible to break her transformation and knock her back into her human form by force, which would effectively keep her from using it again for a short time. Even though it's possible to forcefully break her transformation against her will, Shina can break it of her own will one of two ways. She can either change back normally and thus save her strength for when she needs it... or she can use a more extreme attack that would effectively drain all her strength and have her revert all the same whether or not it connects. The drawback is that if she has taken a beating before, she would be quite subjected to the pain relatively quickly. Such attacks are termed "Beast Drive attacks" and are normally not used by Shina unless under extreme circumstances. She is known to have two such Beast Drives, and rumors abound that she also has a third, although no one has seen any evidence of it. Allies, Friends, Acquaintances, and Enemies Close Friends and their Relationships KD Rio For Shina, she sees KD Rio as the sort of person that she can fully trust with her life and secrets... something best personified in the fact that she's committed to him, engaged to be wed sometime in the future. She's put a ton of faith and trust in her blossoming relationship with him... best encapsulated by the fact that KD can call her Jane without any sort of issue (though it also doesn't hurt that she likes how he says it, though she'll never admit it). When around KD, she's generally more at ease, and willing to let things flow as they may with him. As such, KD returns the favor in kind, allowing her into deep areas of his own life and taking things steady, not overreacting if things flow a bit out of hand. Though Shina does sometimes take exception to the amount of Pepsi KD has on a routine basis, she still cares deeply for him, knowing that he's done the same for her since the moment they first met... and strongly believing that they'll never be separated from one another despite the trials and tribulations that have passed or await. Mikey Lenetia When she first met the mage Mikey Lenetia, Shina had no idea that she'd met a friend for life at the time, initially only seeing him more as a friend of KD Rio's, and as such, was cordial with him, though initially kept things low-key with him, unaware that he could read into her better than anyone else ever could. However, things rapidly developed when she transformed to beast form to deal with the twinkin' fool Red Mage Statcowski (while inadvertently causing trauma to Peach that made her pass out). From that secret to her feelings to KD, it seemed that Mikey knew more about her than she was willing to admit. Despite the initial uncertainty, it was the mage's calm demeanor that allowed the former mercenary to feel more at ease than she normally would have been, seeing him as a friend to go to when in need of advice (though she probably would suggest that Mikey's affinity toward cats helped as well). As time has passed, the two have been the closest of friends, being rather open with one another, confiding in one another when they needed it most. While aware that Mikey possesses some highly mystical abilities (most she is sure she's not completely aware of), she perceives her friendship with the mage as more of a personal friendship with them both on equal footing, though she does acknowledge his magic prowess as it would be foolhardy not to. It's safe to say that without Mikey being there, much of what has opened up for Shina would not have happened, and for that, she's eternally grateful, knowing that she doesn't have to say it for her extremely close friend to know. Princess Peach Toadstool Shina met Princess Peach Toadstool when she first met Mikey, as she was the mage's first and closest friend at the time. Their first meeting for the most part was a cordial one, though it would be marred by the unplanned revealing of the fighter's zoanthropic nature when she transformed to take down the ever-irritating Red Mage. Peach would faint dead away upon seeing that and has since been unable to come to terms with Shina's beast form; thus, Shina tends to try not to use it around the fair princess. Despite that one incident, Shina would come to appreciate Peach for multiple reasons, among them being her friendly personality and advice, as well as her exquisite cooking skill. The appreciation of course is mutual as Peach holds Shina in high regard at all times. Despite the minor uncertainty that surrounds the two because of Shina's zoanthrope nature, they remain close and are both willing to do what it takes for one another and their mutual friends as well, notably Mikey. Other Close Friends *Relm Arrowny *Aerith Gainsborough *Sabin Rene Figaro *Tifa Lockhart *Zeke the cat (pet cat) Friends and Allies *Timothy Johnson *Link *Ashton Anchors Miscellaneous Facts *Shina is extensively fluent in English and French, with a generally solid understanding of Japanese. However, any French accent she had has more or less since vanished. *Although she has not been active in mercenary operations for some time, Shina will still answer to the name Marvel, as it is a name she earned for herself back in her mercenary days. *Since meeting Relm Arrowny, she has since allowed her portrait to be painted a minimum of six known times... and that's just solo. Category:Characters Category:Main Characters